I have a small video game shop where I trade used video games. As an eBay user, I thought I might as well start selling video games online. How would I start a profitable business doing this?

If your brick and mortar video shop is doing any good, then you better believe that selling video games on eBay can make you quite a profit. The key to making that profit happen is by beefing up your listing.

1. Do your research. Look around eBay at listings of similar products. What are those products selling for and how do the listings look?

2. Be honest. If you are selling used video games, say so. Make sure you are clear about the condition the games are in. People are still willing to spend money on used games.

3. Create an appealing description. This should grab people’s attention, while being clear and concise.

4. Take professional photographs. Even for video games, the clearer and more attractive the photo, the more likely a potential customer will buy it.

I am a little worried about pricing. Should I list the games at the same price that I sell them for at my store?

You do want to price your video games just right in order to attract the most attention and sales. The most important thing to remember when selling video games on eBay is that you should list your price according to supply and demand levels on the site.

This is where research comes into play. See what other video game sellers on the site are selling their games for. Price yours a little lower. You can also take advantage of the Buy It Now and Reserve Price options on eBay, where you can control the minimum price you will sell your item for.

So standing out from the other video game sellers on eBay is my main concern, right?

Absolutely! You want to differentiate yourself from like-minded sellers not only through the quality of your product and appearance of your listing, but by your superior customer service. The best way to see profits rise on eBay is by having a lot of good customer reviews posted on your profile.

This means you should give your customers as many options as possible when it comes to price and shipping. You should check your listings constantly to see if anyone has e-mailed you with questions so that you can respond in a timely manner. You should offer as many payment options as possible: PayPal, credit card, check, etc.

I sell a lot of games on ebay. I pay attention to gamestop. I watch the used prices there when they start to drop there is about a 2 week lag on ebay pricing. I can use that time to sell newer games that have started to drop in price. As far as most older games go, it is generally harder to make anything on those.

I also do well in the accessory area. I can usually make a good profit selling controllers, cords, and such.

Hi Janie,

You could also use Terapeak to do your market research on eBay.

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I pay attention to gamestop. I watch the used prices there when they start to drop there is about a 2 week lag on eBay pricing. I can use that time to sell newer games that have started to drop in price.

This is a really great example which proves that industry knowledge is essential to understanding the market and using that information to identify arbitrage opportunities and make a profit. Also try to be creative, test different assumptions, and see what sells well in which circumstances.

selling video games on ebay is definitely worth the try, another idea in your niche is those spcial chinese/japanese joysticks, wheels .. i saw a guy making a killing with just one item from japan, it was an arcade joystick, forgot the name sorry..

http://175proof.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/atari-joystick.jpg ?